The Golden State Warriors have a very clear, narrow title window built around Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, but you might not want to commit to that core.
The Golden State Warriors will be able to compete in the NBA Championship at least as long as Stephen Curry plays at a high level. After a shortage in the second round of this season, the Warriors hope that a full offseason with town’s Jimmy Butler will strengthen title hopes.
With Butler, Curry and Draymond Green on the wrong side of 35, the Warriors have very limited windows, but they don’t seem to like to let go of important assets to maximize their current windows.
The Warriors can trade first-round draft picks in 2027, 2028, 2029, 2031 and 2032, and swaps in the 2026 selection, but in core aging, Golden State doesn’t seem interested in future mortgages.
In all realistic scenarios, Curry, Green and Butler have two seasons left for Prime. The dubs will then need to be rebuilt.
It’s safe to say the Warriors’ run was a success after winning four titles, but the long rebuild is faster than after.
With the loss of a season on the horizon, the Warriors are not keen to let go of future draft picks. This will get you very easily closer to the top of your draft and you can find new franchise players.
“We’re probably more protecting them than most teams,” general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. told Tim Kawakami about the Warriors’ draft pick.
“That uncertainty is the uncertainty of putting out these picks in the future, as we don’t know what our roster will be in a few years.
The Warriors know their picks are extremely valuable, but other teams also know that dealing with dub picks can be more fruitful than trading with rising capital and draft capital, such as the San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rocket.
Since Kevin Durant set out for the Brooklyn Nets, the Warriors have sought to bring together a winning cast for Curry, who won their fourth title in 2022. But Andrew Wiggins never played that well again.
Enter Jimmy Butler. During the playoffs and regular season, the Warriors went 23-7 with Butler in the lineup, but Curry suffered an injury in the postseason and ended their bid.
With healthy butlers, curry and greens, the warriors should be able to compete in the finals, even in the crowded West. However, maintaining good health is far from guaranteed because all three are aging.
If the warriors remain healthy, there is no reason for them to trade. If injuries pile up, trade is not enough to save them, so it makes perfect sense to hesitate to move on from the draft topic.